ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · ground · mug · wax · present · mouse · pit · wave

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. present — the time now
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. present — a gift
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. present — there
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com